Apparatus for stripping molded articles from molds



Jan- 19, 1954y w. J. STRONG ETAL `2,666,228

APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING MOLDED ARTICLES FROM MOLDS Filed July 27, 1949- 2 Sheets-Sheet l II-* I Eabs EL? a mazza I I y Y A Hg- QIl Jan. 19, 1954 w. J. STRONG l-:T AL 2,666,228

APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING MOLDED ARTICLES FROM MOLDS Filed July 27, 1.949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I'l VI 63 Vf 7 62 p 22 r@ g] 24 -f i E ER' EDE E715 F5555? E-Lf gmc-T51 Patented Jan. 19, 1954 APPARATUS FOR STRIPPIN G MOLDED l ARTICLES FROM MOLDS Walter J. Strong, Cuyahoga Falls, and Robert E. Lindemann, Leroy, Ohio, assignors to The B. F. Goodrichv Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 27, 1949, Serial No. 107,088

' 9 claims. (ci. is-is) l This invention relates to apparatus for stripping molded articles from the molds in which they are formed and is especially useful in removing molded articles -from the upper -mold plate of molds mounted in presses, especially- Where the press is of the type having a tilting upper platen.V

Small articles of rubber or other flexible material have been formed between mold plates providing a great many molding cavities therebetween for simultaneously forming a number of articles. The handlingvof such mold plates has been greatly facilitated by mounting them upon theplatens of presses having a tilting top platen which exposes the upper plate for removal of finished articles y between molding operations. However, even with such equipment it has been diiicult to remove the finished. articles rapidly from the mold plates.

' It is an object of the present invention to provide for stripping or removal of articles from the mold by a brushing or prying action.

Other objects are to provide simultaneous removal of articles entirely across the face of the mold and progressively along the same, to provide for displacement of the stripping apparatus duringclosing of the press, and to collect the articles as they are dislodged.

These and other objects will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a molding press with apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention applied thereto, the press being illus- `trated in closed condition.

Fig. 2 is a detail view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Y

, Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the press in the opened position.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view thereof, taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view thereof, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I designates a molding press of a well known type having an upper platen II and a lower platen l2, the upper platen being adapted to be swung upywardly and tilted to the position illustrated in Fig. 3. A press of a type suitable for use with the present invention is shown and described for example in U. S. Patent No. 2,328,507 of August 31, 1943, although other presses may be used in conjunction with this invention.

Mountedrespectively on the upper and lowerv platens are mold plates I3 and Il!r having mating cavities. The upper mold plate has a multiplicity of cores or protuberances I5 for forming the hollow sides of cup-like rubber articles I6 while the lower plate has cavities for surrounding the cores and forming the outer surfaces.

- In use of the molds the lower plate is lubricated as by a soap deposit so as readily to release the varticles which are retainedron the projecting cores I5 of the upper plate.

For removing the articles I6 from the upper plate, a swing frame I1 is pivotally secured, as at i8, to the upper platen of the press and has a pair of parallel guides I9, xed thereto. A carriage 2! is mounted for sliding movement along the guides and has wheels 22, 23, 24 engaging the guides to reduce friction. A pair of cantilever arms 25 of the carriage 42| extend parallel to the guide 2B and in the open position of the press I0 are parallel to the mold plate I3. Rotatably mounted on the ends of these arms and extending between them is a shaft 26 having a sprocket 2l secured thereto. Anelectric motor 28 is secured to arms 25 and has a sprocket 29 driving a chain 30 for driving shaft 26.

For frictionally contacting the articles I6 to remove them fromvthe cores I5, a plurality of radially extending iiexible vanes are mounted at spaced intervals about shaft 26. These vanes are preferably of rubber and of such radial extent as to contact the upper mold plate i3. They extend entirely across the mold plate and preferably are divided at intervals, as at 36, forincreased pliability and to insure contact with all the articles entirely across the mold plate.

For contacting all articles on the plate I3 progressively, Vthe carriage 2| is moved along the guides 26, and for this purpose a rack 3l is fixed to carriage 2| a similar rack 33 is fixed to frame il and a pinion 35i meshing with both racks and between them is mounted on a cross head for free rotation. A double acting fluid pressure operated cylinder dl is mounted on frame I 'I and its piston rod 42 is secured to the cross-head. VThe arrangement is such that movement ofthe cross yhead is multiplied, doubling movement of carriage 2l. The arrangement is such that the rotating shaft 25 with its vanes 35 is moved across the face. of the mold and dislodges the articles I6 from cores I5 progressively.

For collecting the articles, a trough 45 encloses f the shaft 25 and its blades except where they engage the mold plate I3. A removable container it .is scuredto the trough at oneend thereof 3 about an outlet 41. An air jet 48 is mounted at the opposite end of the trough and is connected to a supply of compressed air by a flexible hose 49. The jet blows the discharged articles along the trough to the outlet where they fall into the container. l Y

For swinging the :stripping mechanism out of the way when the mold is being closed, a bar 60 has its lower end hingedly mounted, as at 6 I, to the stationary base of the press. Itsupper .end has an elongate slot 62. A roller 63 is mounted on the frame Il and is engaged in the slot. The arrangement is such that when the press is opened, as in Fig. 3, the roller I3 is at the top of the slot and the bar 60 is subjected to tension, holding the frame I1 with its rails parallel to the mold plate I3; and when the :press is closed, as in Fig. l, roller 63 is at the lower end of slot 62 and bar 60 is subjected to longitudinal compression and holds the frame l1 in a near vertical `:position where .it is out of the way.

In Vthe opera-tion of the apparatus, .as the :press .is opened -to the position of Fig.. -3 after :a 4.molding operation, .the frame il] 'is 'rotated about pivot |18 to a position Ishovvn in Fig. `3 in which the rails 2D are v.parallel to `mold plate lf3. Motor 28 isV .then started .to rotate `:Asha-ft .2 6 in a clockwise Vdirection 'and at the same timefluidunder ypressure ,is .admitted to :the rod end 4.of cylinder 4l to move carriage 2| to the right in Fig. 3, :mov-

.shaft 26 from Vthe :fron-t .to the rear across .mold plate 13. The flexible blades 35 contact the articles :i6 and brush them from Ythe cores :I into the trough 415 where the Yjet 4.8 blows them ,into container 46, `The y.control valve voperating cylinder -41 is 'then reversed 'to apply .fluid pressure -to ithe :head :end Aof cylinder M, moving shaft .26 yforward. of the press toits starting `Position.

While the 4cylinder M and 'motor v2:8 may ybe controlled Vby hand operated valves and switches respectively, -it -is preferred 'to `operate them .auto- -maticallyby limit switches .plaoed'on the press and .controlling solenoid operated `valves and switches so that as the press .isfopenedmotor 2.8 starts auv tomatically :and runs vuntil the Vpress tis closed fand cylinder 4.1 is operated .to reciprocate .the `.carriage .2| when the .press is opened.

Variations may 4be made Without departing ,from :the scope Vof the invention as it `is rdened .by the following claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus :for .strippingmolded articles from 'the face .of a `fmold, .said .apparatus compris'mg a rotatable ibody extending .along the .face .of the .mold .and 'having flexible members .for :dislodg- .ing articles .from the mold face, fmeans for .ro tating said -.body ,about an axis Aparallel .to said .mold face, .a g-uide positionable parallel to and .along the mold face, anda carriage ,movable .along said Aguide and supporting .said rotatable body to engage said members with the articles and -dislodge 'the same from the mold face and `mea-ns for retracting `the 4guide means, vcarriage rand rotatable member from the mold face `to `'perinit closing ofthe mold.

r2. .Apparatus for stripping molded articles from :the upper `mold plate .of a press, said apparatus .-.comprising .a guide movable .to a Aposition par- :all'el .to the face of the mold plate, :a carriage movable along said guide, vmeans for A:reciprocat- -ing said .carriage along the guide, a rotatable body mounted zon said carriage, said body havfing .flexible :members extending radially therefrom for:dislodging articles from said :mold plate,

4 and means on said carriage for rotating said body.

3. Apparatus for stripping molded articles from the upper mold plate of a tilting top platen press, said apparatus comprising a guide movably mounted on the tilting upper platen .of the press, .said guide .being movable from-,a position clearing the mold plate in the closed position of the .press to a position parallel to the mold plate in the open position of the press, means controlled "by movement `of said platen 4for electing such movement of said guide, la carriage movable along said `guide across the face of said mold plate, ymeans for so moving said carriage, and a rotatable stripping member on said carri-age for dislodging articles from said plate.

4. Apparatus as defined by claim 3 in which said rotatable stripping member comprises a shaft having radial flexible blades.

5. Apparatus for stripping molded articles from a face of a -mold mounted on ra platen of a press, said apparatus .comprising guide means lInovable into and out of opposed relation .to the mold vface, a carriage on said guide means, .a member rotatable about an axis parallel to said rmold face on `said :carriage having lleX-.ble blades extending radially therefrom for engaging .the mold .f ace, means for rotating said rotatable member, means for .moving said carriage .across .the mold face, and means ior retreating :the guide means, carriage .and `rotatable member :from :the mold face to permit closing of .the press.

6. Apparatus for stripping molded articles from y a face of a mold vmounted von .a platen of a press,

said vapparatus, -comprising guide means pivotally mounted on the press Vand .movable into and out .of Aopposed relation Yto the `mold face, a carriage mounted -for `movement across the mold face along said .guide means, -a inem- .ber on said carriage A.rotatable labout an axis parallel to said .mold face and having l.flexible members .extending vradially .therefrom for Yengaging 4the mold face, Ymeans Yfor rotating said rotatable member, means for moving said carriage .across ,themold face, and means for swinging said lr-guide means .about .its pivot for retract ing the guide means, carriage and rotatable .member from the mold face to permit closing of the press.

7. Appar-atus for stripping molded articles from a mold face of a press, said apparatus comprising a ,rotatable .body for :,dislodging .articles from :the `mold face, means orrotating said body, radial Vprojections .on :said lbody at 'spaced irltervals thereabout for engaging 4.the molded articles, means for moving said .bod-y .across vthe mold face While said body is rotated to progres- -sively -contact `the mold ia'ce to dislodge articles therefrom and means for retracting Vsaid -body from the mold face vto permit closing of the press.

8. Apparatus for stripping molded articles A'from the tace of 'a mold, said apparatus comprising a rotatable body having projecting members for dislodging articles from the mold `face, means .for rotating said wbody about an axis parallel .to saidmold face means Yformoving said body along .the mold .face Ato engage said member with the articles and progressively dislodge them from the .mold face, and y,means `for retracting said body from the mold ga-ceto .permit ,Closing of the mold.

9. A molding press `comprising `a fframe, lxed ...and movable Yplatens thereon, .a Itrack .mounted on said movable platen and movable relative thereto, a carriage on said track, a rotatable shaft on said carriage having resilient articlestripping projections, vmeans for rotating said shaft, means for moving said carriage and shaft 5 along said track, and means for operatively postoning said track relative to said movable platen when the latterv is Withdrawn from the fixed platen, the axis of shaft rotation being parallel to the face of said movable platen when the latter is Withdrawn from said fixed platen, so that as said carriage is advanced along the track said projections are moved along the surface of said movable platen to strip molded articles from the platen.

WALTER J. STRONG. ROBERT E. LINDEMANN.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 'Number Name Date 2,116,916 Van Hyning May 1'0, 1938 10 2,225,672 Webb Dec. 24, 1940 2,226,326 Scott Dec. 24, 1940 2,394,260 Pfeilsticker Feb. 5, 1946 2,487,925 Gronerneyer Nov. 15, 1949 

